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After the Cavs were blown off the floor in game four, I along with the rest of the country had pronounced them dead. I had begun to write LeBron’s eulogy, complete with a bevy of excuses and narcissistic one-liners that he would have loved. I popped “The Godfather” in the DVD player and was prepared to watch it six times in succession as a tribute to LBJ’s willpower and mental fortitude. I even sent flowers to LeBron’s mom and step-dad, Delonte West.

The series was all but over. You could see it in the body language of every Cavs player. They were ready to throw in the towel and fire up the old LeBron excuse train. But then, the King finally lived up to his name. Kyrie got the party started with a tremendous individual performance in game five, and LeBron finally woke up and remembered that he is the single most unguardable player in the history of basketball.

No one, not even Air Jordan himself, has ever had a performance quite like King James had in these finals. I mean the guy led both teams in points, assists, rebounds, steals, and blocks for the series for christ’s sake.

He carried the Cavs and the city of Cleveland to their first title in 52 years, and he did it against a team that was destined to be one of, if not thee greatest team of all-time. Of course, the epic comeback would not have been possible without one of the biggest collapses in the history of modern athletics. The Warriors were completely out of sync down the stretch last night, hoisting up horrible shots and hoping that Steph or Klay (The Trash Bros) would bail them out with a late prayer. Their third best player in Draymond Green outplayed both Steph and Klay for most of the series, and that can’t be the case if you want to beat a player of Bron Bron’s caliber on the big stage.

As much as I hate to say it, if LeBron cracked under pressure like Steph did in this series, the media would be absolutely DESTROYING him right now. That’s the price you pay when you build yourself up as one of the biggest front runners of all-time. When you lose, the blame falls squarely on your broad, freakishly muscular shoulders. But when you win, and dominate the way that LeBron did in this series, then all of the praise and credit if yours and yours alone.

Whatever narrative you want to write about LeBron and his career is now open for debate. The comparisons between he and Jordan that seemed all but dead just a few short months ago are now back on the table. That’s how impressive LBJ’s finals were.

So where does LeBron go from here? He did what he set out to do and won a championship for his city, and he did so as the best player on the floor by wide, wide margin. Why stay? Cleveland is a dump to begin with and I’ve got to imagine that it’s burned to the ground after last night’s celebrations. Whatever he does, his legacy is now set in stone.

I hate you LeBron James, and I always will. Your pompous, self-absorbed demeanor will never allow me to truly respect your greatness. But finally, I can say without sarcasm, that I truly, truly respect you.

The last time the NHL hosted a World Cup tournament the year was 1996. Independence Day was the number one movie in America, Seinfeld was at the peak of it’s popularity, the Dallas Cowboys were actually good, and I was just days old. 20 years ago the USA squad, led by Brett Hull and Mike Richter, ran the table against opposing teams and beat the heavily favored Canadian team, led by the ‘Great One’ himself, in the championship series. Now two decades later, the American bunch will look to repeat the success of the ’96 team in this years World Cup of Hockey, which is being held in Toronto, and earn ultimate bragging rights in this highly anticipated preseason tournament. Continue reading The Ultimate World Cup of Hockey Preview »

We all know that Muhammad Ali will go down as the greatest fighter to ever put on a pair of gloves, but he will be remembered for so much more than just his lightning-fast hands and infamous Ali shuffle. Ali transcended sports, and he did it on his own terms. He stood up for what he believed in regardless of consequence, and he did it in a time when men, especially African-American men, dared not challenge authority.

Ali was a three-time world champion, and the best smack-talker to ever pick up a microphone. His opponents were often defeated before they ever stepped in the ring, as Ali had been talking them back into their corner in the weeks leading up to the fight.

Nowadays, every athlete wants to be a celebrity and vice-versa, but Ali truly was both, and boy did he ever know it. I’ll never forget listening to clips of Ali and the late Howard Cosell yucking it up before a fight. Cosell knew what buttons to push and helped to bring us some of the greatest quotes and one-liners ever produced. I’d like to think that the two of them are up in the clouds right now enjoying one another’s company once again.

So RIP to the Muhammad Ali, the greatest of all-time. You turned sport into spectacle. You “shocked the world”. “Rumble young man, rumble.”

What a series. I don’t think anyone, including the Warriors, thought that OKC would put up this kind of a fight against the defending world champs. Up three games to one, the Thunder were in the driver’s seat. Russell Westbrook couldn’t be stopped and was looking like the best player on the court. Kevin Durant was playing sound, efficient basketball on both ends of the floor, and the supporting cast, particularly Steven Adams, seemed to be making all the little plays that make the difference in a tight series.

But then, Steph Curry happened. Klay Thompson woke up from his coma and dropped 19 in the fourth quarter to force game seven. When you get a great team like the Warriors on their heels, you have to go for the jugular. Can’t let Steph and Klay hang around long enough to get hot. The role players, including Anderson Varejao, who apparently still plays basketball, and others did their part down the stretch. Oracle was LIT. Steph was crossing anyone who dared to guard him and making it look more effortless than ever. When I think about Steph Curry twenty years from now, this is the game I’ll remember. The way he, the Thunder, and everyone watching knew the ball was going in the second he came off of the screen.

I’ve got to be honest, I was starting to grow tired of all the Golden State love. ESPN constantly shoving them down our throats and social media losing their minds every time Steph hits a three. But the Warriors are just too much fun. One of the all-time great teams in sports and last night showed just what kind of resolve they really have. Can’t wait to watch them take down King James once again in the finals. I enjoy watching LeBron James lose just as much as I enjoy watching my teams win. If that’s wrong, then I don’t want to be right.

PS- Hey KD, you know who doesn’t play in the Western Conference with the big bad Warriors and Spurs? The Celtics. Just saying…

The Detroit Tigers recently let go of President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Dave Dombrowski. Dombrowski had been with the Tigers for nearly 14 seasons.

Dombrowski built the Tigers from the ground up. In his first full season in Detroit, the Tigers had an American League worst record of 119 losses. However, he did not let this be a detriment to his overall plan. Dombrowski was known for not being afraid to pull the trigger on a big time move. Some examples include trading for Miguel Cabrera and Max Scherzer. Continue reading Dave Dombrowski Should Be on Red Sox Radar »

After Saturday night’s “fight” and eventual decision, preserving woman-beater Floyd Mayweather’s undefeated professional record, we are left with this wonderful gif that proves if the justice system can’t fully prevail over Money’s extensive history of domestic abuse, he at least continues to get into a ring and can be punched… hard.